Separator



SEPARATOR F. A. BROWN E Filed Feb. 13, 1928 Nov. 5, 1929.

...lllllnlllllllllll' Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK A. BBOWNE, OF WAYNE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE BARBER ASPHALT COIPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

GINIA.

A CORPORATION 0F WEST VIR- SEPARATOR Application led February 13, 1928. Serial No. 253,962.

This invention relates to a device for separating a liquid from a vapor and more particularly to a device for separatlng a l1qu1d from a vapor soluble therein especlally when the liquid is carried by the vapor as a fine mist or spray.

A'refrige'rating apparatus of the type 1n which the vapors of a volatile refrmgerant are compressed by a lubricated compressor presents the type of problem in its operatlon which this separating device is designed to solve. If, for example, the refrigerant 1s ethyl'chloride and mineral oil is used. as a lubricant for' the compressor, the ethyl chloride vapors which the compressor de-A livers carry the oil as a fine mist which 1s not readily separated from thhe vapors. .If this oil is permitted to enter the boiler wlth the refrigerant it ma be permanently lost' to the compressor an eventually all of the lubricant used will be in the boiler, necessitating both frequent renewal of lubricant and draining of the boiler.

Furthermore, since ethyl chloride is soluble in mineral oil, the lubricating oil is so diluted that it fails to function properly as a lubricant and seal in the compressor.

The objects of this invention are accordingly the provisionsof means for separatmg a mistof the Atype described -from a vapor or gas and for removing dissolved vapors from a liquid.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1. is a vertical section through the separator; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; I

The separator comprises a chamber 2,-

shown a.; a rectangular box of sheet metal, into which extends an inlet tube 4 continued within thechamber as a spiral 6 at one end of the chamber and a second spiral 8 at the other end and opening at 10 near the top of the chamber.

A tube 12 opening adjacent the top of chamber 2 provides an exit for vapors entering the chamber. Extending in a vertical plane across the chamber on opposite sides of tube 12 are perforated baiile plates 14. These plates are joined midway of their heights by an imperforate baille plate 16 which extends chamber is a heating device comprising an outer shell 22 within which is secured, by screw threads, for example, an inner shell 24 which forms a casing for an electrical heating coil 26, the lead in wires to which are located within a conduit 28. The walls of shells 22 `and 24 form an annular liquid receiving chamber with the bottom of which an exit tube 30 communicates.

As an example of a system in which this separator may be used, reference may be made to application Serial Number 253,961, filed February 13, 1928, which shows a refrigerating system with the separator included therein. In using ethyl chloride as a refrigerant and mineral oil as a lubricant in such refrigerating system, a compressor would be arranged to discharge refrigerant under compression into tube 4, which refrigerant would carry lubricant from the compressor in the form of afinemist. This mist carryin vapor would be forced through spirals 6 an 8 and discharged into the chamber at 10. It is found that if tube 4 be about five feet in length that the droplets forming the mist coalesce to form larger globules which readily separate centrifugally in the spirals from the ethyl chloride vapors and collect in the tile substance such as ethyl chloride is dissolved in a more or less viscous liquid such as lubricating oil and the pressure thereon is suddenly released, foaming is apt to occur. The object of the baffle plates surrounding tube 12 is to prevent foam from rising above the open end of this tube thereby permitting oil to pass out therethrough. If foaming occurs in the construction shown, that formed in the vicinity of tube 12 will pass beyond the ends of plate 16 and will be effectively broken up in its rise through perforated plates 14 and 18, so that. none of it will reach the open end of tube 12 under any normal conditions of operation. A

The lubricant passes out through the heater and tube 30 to the compressor. As stated above, lubricating oil dissolves ethyl chloride and by so doing is rendered too dilute to function as a lubricant and because of the ease with which the ethyl chloride is evaporated therefrom it fails to act as a liquid seal in a rotary compressor. The heater warms the oil sufficiently to boil off ethyl chloride from solution and also serves to heat the oil to maintain desired fluidity. The baffle plates also serve to prevent the passage of lubricant into outlet 12 during the foaming resulting from this boiling.

Having now fully described my invention,

Iwhat I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A separator comprising a chamber, an inlet conduit opening into the chamber, an outlet tube extending upwardly within said chamber with an open end above a normal liquid level within said chamber, a plate extending horizontally about said tube below its open end and adjacent said normal liquid level, and perforated baffle plates arranged to break foam rising about the edges of the first named plate.

2. A separator comprising -a chamber, a spiral tube of substantial length and relatively small internal diameter adapted to separate liquid centrifugally from vapors and opening above a normal liquid level Within said chamber, an outlet tube extending upwardly Within said chamber with an open end above said normal li uid level within said chamber, a series of ba e plates arranged to prevent foam from the liquid from entering the open end of said tube, and a heated outlet for liquid`in said chamber.

3. A separator comprising a chamber, a spiral tube of substantial length `and relatively small internal diameter opening above a normal li uid level within said chamber, an outlet tu e extending upwardly within said chamber with an open end above said normal 1i uid level within said chamber, a series Vof (bae plates arranged to revent foam from the liquid from entering t e open Aend of said tube, a shell havin an open end communicating with the a orementioned chamber and a second shell enclosing a heating element and located within said first mentioned shell, whereby the walls of the shells form an annular liquid receiving space about the heating element, s aid liquid receiving space having an outlet whereby liquid may ow from the chamber through said liquid receiving space..

4. A separator comprising a chamber, an inlet conduit opening into the chamber, an outlet conduit opening above a normal liquid level ywithin said chamber, a plate extending horizontally below the opening of the outlet conduit adjacent said normal liquid level, and perforated baille plates arranged about the opening of the outlet conduit and adapted to break foam rising about the edges of the first named plate before it reaches the opening of the outlet conduit. Y

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto se't my hand, atPhiladelphia, on this fourth day of February, 1928.

FRANK A. BROWNE. 

